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Friday, August 9, 2013

Oklahoma is one of 27 states which have stated a clear intent NOT TO expand Medicaid [Forbes]. This is a clear 'brinkmanship' maneuver where Obama is going to try to stare down the Governors and when millions of poor people are priced out of the market (a 60 yr old Oklahoman working part time may have to pay 75% of his gross income to buy a required policy), Obama will call the governors 'heartless' and the governors will either hang together or buckle under separately.

The poor don't make enough to be given subsidies

What makes the situation even worse is that many current insurance programs designed by states for the self-employed and lower-income individuals, will cease to exist at the end of 2013. Why? because they were designed with the support of George W. Bush's presidency and receive federal Medicaid grants. Obama sees these programs as a threat to his preferred version of socialism and he ordered his HHS secretary to de-fund all of them.
This chart shows the projected 2014 typical cost for a single 60 year old Oklahoma man or woman. Notice how those part time workers making less than $11,400 annually will be forced to go without any insurance and pay a federal fine. Oklahoma currently has over 5000 people in this income bracket buying coverage from Insure Oklahoma but Obama is forcing it’s closing.
Most Oklahomans would be surprised to find out that Medicaid coverage is only available for individuals who make less than $3,492, annually (unless a successful federal disability claim has been deemed). But ObamaCare subsidies are only given to individuals who make at least $11,400, annually. So what happens to those who only made between $4 - 11 thousand? This would include college students, injured people, laid off workers, and those of diminished stamina.

Sadly, so many citizens of very limited means who have done their best to at least pay for part of their health coverage, will soon be reverting back to exploiting the emergency rooms or suffering the ravages of calamity and disease. Oklahoma public health leaders have worked so hard to find solutions for universal coverage goals. It is intolerable that a pig-headed socialist in the White House is willing to create so much suffering and lie with a straight face, calling his opponents heartless.

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